Polk County, Minnesota: hazard risk
FEMA rates Polk County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 67.0 of 100, higher than 67% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, cold wave. Its storm record holds 1,469 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.1 | $481K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.2 | $7.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 89.2 | $1.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 81.6 | $1.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65.4 | $870K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 83.4 | $608K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.8 | $13M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 54.5 | $107K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47.5 | $1.2M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 54.2 | $2K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 24.9 | $99K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 15.5 | $55K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 5.9 | $6K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 423 | 0 | $595K | 64th of 87 | 1687th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 319 | 0 | $3.1M | 73rd of 87 | 2439th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 306 | 1 | $13M | 72nd of 87 | 1536th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 159 | 1 | $67K | 58th of 87 | 576th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 82 | 4 | $17M | 47th of 87 | 1624th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 62 | 0 | $1.1B | 48th of 87 | 2150th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 49 | 0 | $7K | 51st of 87 | 1845th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 27 | 0 | – | 45th of 87 | 2056th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 74th of 87 | 2251st of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $378K | 45th of 87 | 1898th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 67th of 87 | 2343rd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Polk County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.